The Future of Brno_Masterplan

TYPE City Master Plan, Transportation
STATUS Competition, Second Stage selected
LOCATION Brno, Czech Republic
YEAR 2015 – 2016
CLIENT Brno City Authority

DESIGN TEAM Vittoria Bellassai, Andrea Cadioli, Eva Castro, Marco D’Ambrogio, Giovanni Carlo Gentili, Ulla Hell, Holger Kehne, Valentina Mancini, Giulia Mariotti, Edoardo Nieri, Pietro Scarpa, Yunya Tang, Chuan Wang, Jingshuang (Kyra) Zhao

The subject of this competition was the urban planning and transportation solution for a new main railway station in Brno, as well as the development of a strategy for a sustainable urban district that meets the needs and realities of the 21st and 22nd centuries. A 200-hectare former industrial site behind the new main station was to be connected to the city and revitalized. The new district is expected to accommodate over 18,000 new residents and offer more than 1.5 million square meters of work and living space.

The southern part of Brno's city center is a derelict area, resulting from the uncoordinated intertwining of railway lines and the initial growth followed by the later decline of industrial production over the past 150 years. To integrate this large, central area into the city of Brno, it was crucial to combine connectivity with a vibrant mixed-use program.

The aim was to achieve the same density as in the nearby turn-of-the-century districts, but with a strong emphasis on green and leisure-oriented spaces, benefiting the entire city. From this emerged the concept of pedestrian-friendly access, with strategically placed parking structures. The organization of the new streets ensures efficient connections to public transport, allowing buses to run every few minutes, and walking distances are kept under 200 meters. The construction work was planned to occur in three phases.

The overall layout was defined by linear residential blocks, with a clear distinction made between courtyards and public linear green spaces. To ensure full functionality of the various phases, a specific transportation strategy was defined for each phase, alongside a balance between public and private investments to create a sustainable economic system. This was tailored to the specific characteristics of each phase, both to enhance the current development area and to stabilize the previously completed sites.